Originally Posted by
Leslie Langford
Launa, I finally plucked up my courage and recently did exactly the same thing that you are contemplating doing.
It was also a "first" for me in the sense that the last couple of times I had my nails done, I was referred to specific nail techs by my GG make up artist/friend, and they were always in the know as to my situation before I even arrived there. They also worked out of their homes, so there was no issue with having other GG's around.
But you know what? - pleasant as these two visits were (the two ladies in question were extremely TG-friendly, curious, and non-judgemental), I still felt the need for a full-on GG nail salon experience. So, in the spirit of the Nike slogan, I finally decided to "just do it!". And long story short, I had a great time, and in the end, it was really a non-event for all concerned.
For my first foray into this uncharted territory, I also chose a nail salon situated in a major shopping mall in a nearby town that I had often passed by in male mode, and somehow, it had always exuded a good vibe as far as I could see. I had also determined beforehand that they accepted both walk-ins and appointments.
Obviously, I went en femme, and was dressed nicely and age-appropriately. If anything, I was probably dressed better than most of the other female customers there who were wearing the standard GG suburban shopping mall uniform, and that in itself earned me few interested glances. On the other hand, that probably also deflected their attention from scrutinizing my face more closely and possibly "reading" me, so - mission accomplished.
I had also read somewhere that women sometimes bring their own nail polish to these salons if they have a favorite colour that the salon doesn't carry, so I decided to do the same to make them think that I was an old pro at this type of thing. As it happens, my preferred shade is "I Am Not Really a Waitress" by OPI, so when I approached the reception desk, indicated that I wanted a standard manicure, and showed them the nail polish that I had brought with me after initially being motioned over to their display rack to choose a colour, they seemed mightily impressed not only by my preparedness, but also my good taste. I was then directed to the station of the particular young lady who would be taking care of me, we exchanged pleasantries, I clarified what I wanted, and she then proceeded to get to work.
Now before I continue, I should mention that for whatever reason, Vietnamese immigrants seem to hold the patent on nail salons throughout North America, and this salon was no different. I only say that because all the ladies there seemed to be struggling somewhat with English, although despite that, we still managed to communicate reasonably well and engage in some limited small talk. That said, throughout my visit to that salon the gals chatted non-stop amongst themselves in Vietnamese, interspersed with the occasional laughter and giggling. Despite that, I still had the distinct sense that they were in their own little world, and that none of their talk had anything to do with me. In short, even if I was read at some point, it was likely a non-issue and I was treated just like a GG customer throughout.
If anything, our brief conversations were friendly and up-beat, and I was even complimented variously on the state of my cuticles (who would have seen that one coming?), the scarf that I had accessorized my outfit with, and the aforesaid nail colour I had chosen to bring with me.
As for the other GG's in the nail salon, they were variously getting manicures, pedicures, or some combination thereof and seemed off in their own world, enjoying the pampering. A few glanced my way occasionally, but in the same manner in which they glanced around looking at the other customers and nail techs from time to time to alleviate their boredom. In other words, as far as I could detect, I wasn't under any special scrutiny and blended in just fine.
As for the actual manicure itself, it consisted of the standard cuticle trimming, nail clipping, filing, and shaping, followed by two coats of polish, a clear topcoat, some sort of fixative spray, and then a side trip to the drying station. I also received the requisite lotion hand massage which, I admit - while enjoyable - also felt kind of weird, given that here was this pretty girl massaging and caressing my hands in a way she might not have, had she realized that it was actually a man's hands that she was stroking this way.
When the whole process was done, I paid in cash, gave the young lady an appropriate tip, and was even granted a senior's discount, so the entire adventure - tip and all - came to less than $20. Talk about a cheap thrill!;).
Needless to say, after that wonderful experience I am now hooked. And like everything else, the first time is always the hardest, with a few minor stumbles along the way. But after I got to know the drill, the second visit a few weeks later was far less stressful as I knew exactly what to expect at every step along the way, and I sailed right through it. So much so, in fact, that I have now decided to make these manicures part of the routine when I go out as "Leslie" in future as I never really was a huge fan of those press-on nails that I used in the past, and I totally fail when it comes to applying my own nail polish.
So the moral of this story is don't hesitate but instead - go out there, Launa, indulge in your fantasy, visit one of those countless nail salons, walk in as though you own the place, and enjoy! Once you've had the experience, you'll wonder why it took you so long to take this step...
